Joan.H, Check out this site and see if it matches.

That's it! I know fungus can be difficult to control, but just knowing what it is, I think, is a good part of the battle. Thanks so much!

Yeah, I do see a little bit of difference in the 2 pictures. What I don't understand, though, is why only certain spots on the leaves are affected if it's sunburn. I would expect the entire leaf to be affected as well as many, or even most, of the leaves on the plant to show evidence of sunburn.

where are you ...

and what have you already sprayed the plant with???? ... it looks like you have already done so ...

lets see a pic of the whole ..

if its one or two sprigs.. i usually simply cut them off and be done with it
privet are popular.. because they should relatively carefree ... and you are jumping to disease and aggressive treatment .... which should be a rarity.. rather than the norm ...

ken

The most severely damaged spots are the highest part of the leaf because, there, the sun's rays hit the leaf at a right angle -- as in Kapow!

The leaf slopes downhill from the high spots. Thus, the rays hit the down slope at an obtuse (larger than 90 degree) angle. The effect is less damaging than if at a right angle (90 degrees).

I'm in a pretty mild area in So. California. So far, I haven't treated the plant because I didn't know what it was. Once I learn what the problem really is, I can determine whether or not I should even worry about it. Don't want it doing any real damage. Thanks for the input.

Thanks for your answer, too, Jean.

Don't know which "mild" are you are.

I lived in Long Beach, just about a half mile from the beach, with prevailing ocean winds. Typically very mild. I enjoyed it for 30-some years.

But when santana winds kicked in, the weather wasn't mild nor pleasant. Ir was hot, with very low humidity, bright sunlight, and searing winds.

Your damage occurred some time ago.
If you don't like looking at the damage, remove those few leaves.
If the leaves are many, my choice would be to retain them because they still have a lot of green which is "feeding" the plant.

Always your choice.

Joan.H, I cannot recall a single instance of a Ligistrum - shrub, hedge, tree, in the landscape - which did not present a symptom (there are a few) of Cercospora (there are at least 3).
Here is a very readable Newspaper item on the subject.

This post was edited by ronalawn82 on Thu, Nov 13, 14 at 17:29

Joan.H, you did identify the main difference between sunburn and disease symptoms. The former occurs in a band across the full width of the leaf surface; the coloration is characteristically even. The latter start off as discrete spots - of one color or another - which may merge. There is often a 'halo' of lighter color surrounding the central spot. Again, the tendency to merge masks out the color differences. Sometimes the center falls out, leaving an irregularly shaped hole in the leaf. I have often misdiagnosed this as insect (beetle) damage.
As is my habit, here is another site.

Wonderful information, everybody. Just what I needed. Thanks, all, very much!